Improvement in exercising-machines



. UNITED STATES ATENT OFFICE.

CHARLES F. TAYLOR, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

IMPROVEMENT ||\l EXEPtClSING-MACHINES.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 112,516, dated April 26, 1864.

`for exercising the lower limbs of the human body, designed more especially for persons aii'ected with paralysis and like Complaints; and I do hereby declare that the following is a i'ull, clear, and exact description ot' the same, reference beinghad to the accompanying drawings, making a part ot' this specification, in which- Figure l is a side sectional view of my invention taken in the line x w, Fig. 2; Fig. 2, a plan or top view ofthe saine.

Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in the two gures.

The object of this invention is to obtain a device of simple and economical construction which will admit of the lower limbs ofthe human body being exercised with a view ot' strengthening them in cases ot paralysis and like diseases, and in such a manner that the patient will not suiier from over-exertiou in operating the device, but will only bring` such muscles and parts into play as are designed to be strengthened thereby.

To enable those skilled in the art to fully understand and construct my invention, I will proceed to describe it.

A represents a couch or lounge, one part, a, ot' which is adjustable or arranged so as to be capable of being more or less inclined to suit the, patient. This part @,whieh is aportion of the top ofthe couch or lounge, is connected to the fixed part b by hinges c, and the part a is supported by props d, the ends of which rest in racks e at each side of the couch, said props being connected to part a by hinges or joints f. Underneath this top part of the couch there are placed longitudinally two horizontal sliding bars, B B, which are tted and work between friction-rollers g. The back ends of the bars B are connected by cords h h to segments C C, which are fitted on rock-shafts D D, the latter having their bearings on the upper ends of 4inclined supports j, which are attached to the end of the couch. Each rockshaft D is provided at its outer end with a pendent rod, E, and these rods have each a sliding weight, F, tittedon them, the weights being secured in any desired position on the rods by set screws 7c. The front ends ot' the bars B B have each a foot-piece, G, attached to them by a pivot, i, and the feet of the patient may be secured lto the foot-pieces by straps or cords.

From the above description it will be seen that the patient while on the couch, as shown in Fig. 1, may exercise either leg by shoving outward the bar B, to which it is attached,

the weights F drawing back the bars as the feet of the patient are drawn inward. The weights F may be made to otter a greater or less resistance to the action ot' the feet by raising or lowering them on the rods E, the resistance increasing as the weights are lowered. Hence as the limb increases in strength the exercise may be commensurately increased.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

rlhe sliding barsB B, connected with weights or their equivalents, to oiier a resistance to the action ot' the feet of the patient, in combination with a couch or lounge, A, all arranged to operate in the manner substantially as and for the purpose herein set forth.

ACHARLES F. TAYLOR.

Witnesses: v

J. W. Coonns, GEO. W. REED. 

